First Snow
by zora payke
Summary: Sunny sees snow for the first time.


I am 13 years old and I have never seen the snow. I hear mixed reviews some people love it, some people hate it and some people do not really care. I for one am excited to decide for myself.

"So, are you packed?" My best friend Dawn asked she was sitting on her bed folding clothes into her suit case.

"Almost, what are we supposed to do for jackets?" All I had was a ratty old jean jacket I refused to part with and maybe two or three sweatshirts.

"Oh, don't worry about that my mom will bring us some jackets and gloves. She won't let us freeze."

"Gloves? I have never in my life seen a glove!"

Dawn laughed at me, "Don't get too excited snow sucks! You're going to hate it its cold it's wet, it's slippery, it's cold!" She smiled. "I am excited for you to see it though we will make a snow man, snow angels, have a snow ball fight, go sledding.

I smiled back, but my heart really wasn't in it. This was going to be my first Christmas since my mother died and frankly I was not looking forward to it. Dawn knew I was dreading Christmas this year so she invited me to Stoneybrook. I jumped at the chance to get out of my house where I knew I would be surrounded by memories. My father said he understood how I felt and he was going to Hawaii for Christmas and New Year's he invited me to go, but I know he really would have rather spent the holidays with his new girlfriend. Frankly, I think it hurt him to look at me; I was just a reminder of the woman who was gone.

"Well, you better finish packing, 6 AM comes fast."

"Yeah." I looked down at my hands hoping she would offer to come with me. I really hate being in my house, it was dark and dreary like someone had died in the dining room. We hadn't put up a Christmas tree or bought any presents it was like without Mom Christmas did not exist. I wonder if it ever will again.

"I'm done here, so let's go get you packed."

"Thanks," I replied without looking at her. We got up and went over to my house. We packed in record time, neither of us wanted to be in that house for very long. Sometimes I wish my Dad would sell the place, other times I was glad he hadn't. I sometimes sit in the dining room trying to contact my mom I am not sure if there are ghosts or if there is an afterlife, but then I am not sure there isn't.

The night passed uneventfully and the next day when Dawn's alarm went off I was still half asleep, I was a zombie going through the motions. Dawn, Jeff, and I boarded the plane flew across the country and arrived in icy cold Connecticut. Once we entered the airport I spotted Dawn's mom Sharon and her step sister Mary Anne anxiously waiting by the gate. We rushed to them Dawn ran straight to Mary Anne and Jeff ran straight to Sharon. They hugged one another respectively and then switched. Sharon refused to let go of Dawn, so Mary Anne hugged me after Jeff hugged her for a second. "I am so glad to see you Sunny! I am really glad you came!"

"Me too, Mary Anne!" Mary Anne and I are pretty close I feel really far from her world. I mean I have had sex, I have done drugs, and I have been drunk numerous times. Even though Mary Anne was a goody two shoes and had never done any of those things we understood one another. She never knew her mother and I had lost mine. It gave us an unspoken bond, I knew that I could tell Mary Anne anything and she would not judge me. It's not the same with Dawn she has her mind set on how people are supposed to react to certain situations and when people do not react the way she deems appropriate she kind of freaks out. I love Dawn and I would do anything for her and vice versa. But the last time Mary Anne came to California I took her to this really remote spot and she asked me if I ever came here to scream. I told her I had never gone anywhere to scream she said she sometimes went to this place in Stoneybrook where she could scream as loud as she could. So, I tried it and she was right it really helped. Screaming with Mary Anne was what got me through a lot of crap. Even with her in Connecticut and I in California all I would have to do is call her and we could scream together.

Sharon finally let Dawn go and gave me a large hug, "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, Sharon! I am so excited to see the snow!"

"We have plenty, you'll be sick of it before you know it!"

` "I have big plans to go sledding with the triplets tomorrow. Sunny, you can come if you want."

"Thanks Jeff, I definitely will I can not wait!"

Then Dawn's mom handed each of us a jacket and we went outside. A light snow had begun to fall and all I can say because all I felt was it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen it was so white and pure. I felt like it was a fresh start, there was an old layer of snow that had turned brown, but I could already see that the new snow was about to cover the brown with a fresh layer of white. The car was completely covered in a thin layer of snow. I ran to the car and picked some snow up in my hand it was as cold as ice and my hand was turning red from the cold. I looked up at the Schafers and Spiers and smiled. They smiled back, "It's incredible! I can't believe I have been missing this for thirteen years!"


End file.
